Transport of mineral dust from Africa and Middle East to East Asia observed with the Lidar Network (AD-Net)

Abstract

Mineral dust transported from Africa and Middle East was observed with the Asian Dust and aerosol lidar observation Network (AD-Net). In March 2018, the dense Sahara dust, reported by mass media as that snow in Sochi, Russia stained into orange, was transported to Sapporo in 4 days from Sochi and observed by the lidar. In April 2015, dust from Middle East was transported to Nagasaki passing across the Taklamakan desert. Dust source areas and transport paths were studied with the global aerosol transport model MASINGAR mk-2 separately calculated for different dust sources regions. The results showed that dust from Sahara and Middle East was transported to East Asia and sometimes mixed with dust from the Gobi desert and the Taklamakan desert. The analysis of recent AD-Net data after 2015 showed such longrange transport cases were observed every year in March or April. The transport path often led over the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Sahara dust transported north and reached around the Black Sea was transported long range by strong westerly in springtime.